Tuneable sulfonated hypercrosslinked polymers for selective esterification: insights into performance and stability.

We report sulfonated hypercrosslinked polymers (SHCPs) as heterogeneous catalysts for the selective esterification of hexanoic acid with benzyl alcohol. The SHCPs demonstrate tuneable catalytic activity and selectivity, outperforming conventional acid catalysts. We also explore detrimental structural changes over multiple cycles, providing insights for optimising long-term catalyst performance.

Clinical Features Associated With Return to Pre-endophthalmitis Visual Acuity Following Presumed Infectious Endophthalmitis.

Background And Objective: This study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics associated with return to pre-endophthalmitis visual acuity (VA) following treatment for presumed infectious endophthalmitis.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 74 eyes with endophthalmitis and VA recorded ≤ 12 weeks before presentation and 6 months after presentation between 2009 and 2018.

Results: Thirty-six of 74 eyes (49%) returned to preendophthalmitis VA.

Understanding acid-glycol switchable emulsifiers on the molecular scale.

Switchable emulsifiers are commonly studied at the macroscopic scale without significant insight into the molecular properties and processes underpinning their behaviour. This work aims to investigate on the molecular scale a switchable emulsifier comprising poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA). This emulsifier forms stable oil/water emulsions at pH > 10, but the emulsion becomes unstable at pH < 3 due to droplet aggregation.

Potent and broad HIV-1 neutralization in fusion peptide-primed SHIV-infected macaques.

An antibody-based HIV-1 vaccine will require the induction of potent cross-reactive HIV-1-neutralizing responses. To demonstrate feasibility toward this goal, we combined vaccination targeting the fusion-peptide site of vulnerability with infection by simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV). In four macaques with vaccine-induced neutralizing responses, SHIV infection boosted plasma neutralization to 45%-77% breadth (geometric mean 50% inhibitory dilution [ID] ∼100) on a 208-strain panel.

Amoebic encephalitis within Australia.

Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis is a rare but likely under-recognised form of subacute, usually fatal, encephalitis. We present an illustrative case report and literature review of Australian cases, summarising clinical features, diagnostic methods, treatment and outcomes.